Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
by PonyDroverHPT
Summary: One-Shot. A nightly stroll around the Enterprise leaves Spock Prime thinking about his old crewmates. Written two years ago, but now published as a tribute to Leonard Nimoy.


**So first off, this is in memory of Leonard Nimoy. Rest in peace, good sir. May we live long and prosper by your example…**

**Don't judge me. This has been stuck in my literary craw for a while…**

**If I get anything wrong, take it as AU and run with it.**

**This story is based off of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miserables. I got a little emotional writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it. This is my first official foray into the Star Trek fandom, so be kind.**

Spock Prime (also known as Ambassador Selek) lived in a constant state of quiet resignation. It was a foregone conclusion that he was never returning to his own timeline. Besides, there was no one there to miss him.

A fact that was only highlighted by his return aboard the _Enterprise_.

It should have been an easy journey, and indeed it was. Seeing young Jim Kirk again was always a pleasant experience. He enjoyed the illogical man's company, and it did not take touch telepathy to indicate the amount of respect that Jim had for Spock Prime. As he travelled to his next peace conference, he observed the goings-on of the ship and her crew, occasionally conversing with a face that until recently only dwelled in his memories (or in a mirror, but conversations with his young counterpart were nearly non-existent).

One night, when there was only a skeleton crew in charge of the _Enterprise_, Spock Prime decided to take yet another walk around the ship. In his wanderings, he happened across the formal meeting room. The room itself was unremarkable; a long, lone table sat in the middle of the room with a computer perched atop and ten chairs placed beside it. But to Spock Prime, this room was a mine of nostalgia.

Even though Vulcans never held stock by emotions like nostalgia-due to their high illogic-Spock found that in his later life, his half-human side tended to take control. As Spock made his way to the chair that he habitually inhabited as a younger man, he could almost see his crewmates, _his friends_, in their places. He could see Misters Sulu and Chekov sitting next to each other like they did every day, with their heads together discussing a tactical move including skilled piloting and weapon-finagling. The two men had an interesting relationship: both ostracized for various reasons (Hikaru and his Botany, Chekov and his age and intelligence), but accepted into the societal structure of the ship as a unit.

Next to them, he could see Lieutenant Uhura shuffling PADD's and keeping her transmissions and translations straight. Uhura was a very skilled communications officer, much like her young counterpart of this reality. Whenever her presence was required in confidential meetings, she would bring a new insight littered with the beauty of human compassion.

Closer to the head of the table, Prime could see a specter of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. Despite the fact that Mister Scott, or 'Scotty' as he rarely called him, was a fairly straight-forward man, he always remained a mystery to Spock. Through various interactions with other crewmates, Spock could faintly understand how they came to be the people they were. Not Scotty. The engineer was the most happily closed-off man that Spock ever knew, and he remained that way until the day he died.

Spock did not want to bring his gaze away from Scotty for if he did, he would have to acknowledge the ethereal whispers and the ghostly movements that seemed to lurk in his periphery constantly. It seemed as though his subconscious would not be kind to him this day. His head turned to the right to be greeted by the men who had been his life for many decades.

Doctor Leonard Horatio "Bones" McCoy and Captain James T. Kirk were the heart and nerve to Spock's cool intellect, respectively. No matter how illogical the concept, it was very difficult to speak about one without the other. If Spock remembered correctly though (which he always did), Edith Keeler said something similar in regards to his relationship to the Captain. It was a known fact that Kirk, Spock, or McCoy alone would be formidable, but when used together they were literally unstoppable.

Spock's relationship with Doctor McCoy was an odd one. On the one hand, he was the 'ying' to Spock's 'yang.' On the other, they could be stubbornly similar that even the Captain cowed to their odd combination of Vulcan logic and Georgian guilt. It was not until the years following the Captain's death that Spock and Leonard formed a friendship not solely based on animosity. Spock even attended the marriage of McCoy's daughter and the christening of her two children. It was four months, two weeks, five days and eight hours after the doctor's 140th birthday that he took his final breath, only after he managed to smile at his green-blooded, pointy-eared friend and whispered, "I'll tell Jim you say 'hi.'" Spock only nodded and Leonard, pleased that he got the last word, died peacefully.

At least Spock could properly grieve for McCoy. After years of developing the balance between his emotions and his logic, he was finally able to express and adapt to his grief for McCoy. The death of James Tiberius Kirk was another matter entirely. When Captain Picard brought him news of his captain, his friend, _his brother, _he was still so emotionally stinted that he was unable to initially express his grief. Spock had been in the dark for so long that he could barely react to Jim's death. Perhaps it was a peace that Spock experienced, finally knowing the fate about his longtime companion. More likely, it was a manifestation of shock and the subsequent mandatory suppression.

As he watched the spectral McCoy and Kirk converse, Jim turned his head slightly to face his old friend. A small smile, one reserved specifically for his first officer, lit up the translucent face. Spock felt the uncharacteristic movement of his own mouth as it turned upward, acknowledging the figment of his imagination. Behind him, he could hear the faint sound of footfalls as a person approached the ready room. Spock found that movement would be senseless as whoever was typing in the access code would catch the old Vulcan regardless.

"Oh, Ambassador! I didn't realize you were up. I can come back later if you wish."

Spock turned back to the empty room and, seeing that his supernatural companions have vanished, turned back to the young manifestation of his dearest friend.

"Do not worry, Captain. I apologize for intruding, it seems that my old habits have a way of not relinquishing their hold on my mind."

Jim flashed Spock a smile. If his eyes had not been the radiated blue of his turbulent childhood, he could have been the perfect carbon copy of the imagined, smiling man sitting in the room not minutes before. Just as before, Elder Spock returns his contented expression to the young man.

"Sir, you are welcome to _intrude_ on any part of this ship. As I've told your young counterpart before, this ship is as much yours as it is mine and Starfleet's. I was just looking for a quiet place to get a little work done," he said graciously, waving his PADD a touch. It was no secret that Jim had issues toeing the line to superiors, but his respect for Old Spock radiated off of him like the sun he was (at least in Spock's life).

"Thank you, Captain. Actually, I feel I may retire. My old bones are not what they used to be." Raising the ta'al, Spock walked slowly back to his quarters, leaving a slightly concerned captain in his wake.

As Spock departed the _Enterprise_ the next day, he approached the transporter room with a heavy heart. Upon arrival, however, he was astonished to see the entire Alpha Bridge Crew waiting for his arrival at full military attention. They looked as if they were waiting for inspection from an esteemed admiral and, judging by the smile on the Captain's face, that was exactly what is was. Sulu and Chekov approached the Ambassador, each giving him a fond farewell and presenting him with a small token.

"This is a Carpathian Lily. It's very rugged and able to withstand many different climates." "And zis iz a perpetual-motion top. Eet runs on solar power and kenn speen for days." "You know, just something to remember us by," "and to sank you for zhe suggestions you gawe us concerning nawigational wariables."

Spock nodded and muttered his thanks to the two young men, moving further down the line of officers waiting to bid him farewell.

Nyota Uhura stepped forward next, placing her hands on Spock Prime's shoulders and lifting herself up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for your visit, sir. Should you ever need anything, we're just one long-distance comm away." With a fond smile still plastered on her face, she stepped back in line.

Finally, the Ambassador reaches his counterpart and his better half, the best command heads Starfleet has ever seen. Kirk begins with, "Commander Scott wishes he could see you off, but apparently there was a small explosion down in one of the nacelles."

Spock nodded and replied, "He is admirably dedicated to his work."

Kirk chuckled and, looking sideways at the younger Spock, said for the both of them, "Thank you for your visit. We always feel so honored to have you with us."

"And I as well am honored and thankful to revisit the _Enterprise_."

Holding the ta'al, young Spock says with the barest hints of emotion, "Dif-tor heh smusma, Mister Spock." Kirk joins his first with the traditional Vulcan salute, and Elder Spock had to bow his head, lest he show the command crew the illogical, single tears that escaped both of his eyes. Jim and Spock could see him, however neither of them said a word.

Spock Prime collected himself and, stepping onto the transporter pad, turned to the gathered crew and croaked,

"Live Long and Prosper, my friends."

This was the last time the crew of the _Enterprise_ saw Ambassador Selek alive, but those who attended to him in his final days said that he was contented to pass on and join those who had gone before him.

**The End. This is not how I intended to end this story. I started this before Mr. Nimoy's death, and I felt that I had to add that last something to the story.**

**No flames, but please give review and give me constructive criticism.**

**Have a wonderful day, and Live Long and Prosper.**


End file.
